Preservative grease

[Tony Smith]

Boiling (or even tap-hot) water will remove it, leaving a slight water repellent residue on the surfaces. A word of caution, if you run it under the hot tap in the kitchen (no dear, it wasn't me ), it will re-harden when in contact with a cool surface like the sink or drain pipe. A large amount on a sizeable part can be shaved off first (and if you are in the kitchen, don't use the cutlery or knives!) to reduce the amount to be melted off.